A total of eight postseason spots remain up for grabs as we enter Week 17 of the NFL schedule, and all but two of the 16 games have playoff implications. Some of the more intriguing matchups are battles between teams in the AFC, which still has six berths at large. The Miami Dolphins (8-7) attempt to extend their winning streak to eight games and strengthen their hold on a wild-card spot when they visit the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans (10-5) while the Indianapolis Colts (9-6), who have bounced back from an 0-3 start, look to solidify their playoff position when they host the wild card-seeking Las Vegas Raiders (8-7).

Two spots remain available in the NFC, and the San Francisco 49ers (8-7) and Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) hope to tighten their grips on them when they face the visiting Houston Texans (4-11) and host Washington Football Team (6-9), respectively. Before you make your Week 17 NFL survivor picks, you NEED to see which team the SportsLine Projection Model is backing.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up over $7,100 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. The model enters Week 17 of the 2021 season on an incredible 134-96 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is WAY UP.

The model can be used to crush the survivor pool format, which calls for picking one team to win each week but never using the same team twice. The team winning the most model simulations each week has been incredibly successful this season, as the 49ers in Week 1 (75 percent), Buccaneers in Week 2 (79 percent), Cardinals and Ravens in Week 3 (79 percent) and Bills in Week 4 (87 percent) were victorious. 

The Patriots in Week 5 (78 percent), Colts in Week 6 (81 percent), Cards in Week 7 (84 percent), Rams in Week 8 (91 percent) and Steelers in Week 9 (73 percent) were winners for survivor contestants who used those teams, as were the Buccaneers and Browns in Week 11 (73 percent), the Bucs again in Week 13 (70 percent), the Chargers in Week 14 (70 percent) and the Dolphins in Week 15 (74 percent).

In Week 17, we can tell you the model is shying away from the Bengals, even though they have posted back-to-back victories and can clinch the AFC North with a win over the visiting AFC West champion Chiefs. Four of Cincinnati's six losses this year have come at home, while Kansas City is riding an eight-game winning streak during which it has outscored its opponents 233-103 and has amassed 159 points over its last five contests. The Bengals are winning only 41 percent of simulations, so the model is fading them.

Instead, the model is backing a team that is facing an opponent which has scored more than 13 points just once in its last six games! Picking this team not only will get you to Week 18, but will also put you in the optimal position to win your NFL survivor pool. You NEED to see which team the model is backing before locking in your NFL survivor picks!

What is the optimal Week 17 Survivor Pool play? And which team will send you through to Week 18? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the SportsLine Projection Model's shocking survivor pick, all from the model that consistently crushes the NFL!